"Struggling South Africa" under the current ANC leadership has been given the unfortunate dishonour as one of 2017's biggest threats to the world, as a direct result of party policies.

While the ruling party gears up for its 105th birthday party at the Orlando Stadium this weekend, experts are concerned about the effect the party’s policies have had and will continue to have on the South African economy.

One such person is US political scientist Ian Bremmer, who names “struggling SA” as the 10th risk the world will have to look out for in 2017.

“The deeply unpopular President Jacob Zuma, beset by corruption allegations, is afraid to pass power to someone he doesn’t trust,” Bremmer wrote in Time Magazine.

“The resulting infighting over succession stalls any momentum toward crucial economic reform in the country and limits South Africa’s ability to offer leadership needed to stabilise conflicts inside neighbouring countries.”

Back home it’s not hard to see why people are concerned about the future of Madiba’s ‘Rainbow Nation.’

GDP grew by a measly 0.5% in 2016, taking the country further away from the 5% the ANC would need to generate its promised 5 million jobs by 2013 and one of SA’s foremost economic minds, Peter Montalto of Nomura, predicts just 1% overall growth in 2017.

With government’s current policies, lack of direction, seemingly endless hunger for corruption and the ANC’s drive to embed Zuma loyalists in ever sector of the economy; it’s hard to predict a positive turnaround for growth and unemployment in the new year.